The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-01-07
CHAPTER III.
FIRST SHOTS.

All military courage of any value is the
offspring of pride and will. The existence of
what is called natural courage" may well be
doubted What is frequently mistaken for
it is either perfect self-command or a stolid
indifference, arising from dull Drained ina
bility to comprehend what really is danger.
The first instincts of man teach him to
shun all sources of harm. and if his senses are
sufficiently acute to perceive danger, his nat,l-
raj disposition is to avoid encountering it.
This disposition can only be overcome by the
exercise of the power of pride and will-pride
to aspire to the accomplishment of certain
things, even though risk attend, and will to
carry out those aspirations.
Harry Glen was apparently not deficient in
either pride or will The close observer, how
ever, seemed to see as his mastering sentiment
a certain sterile selfishness, not uncommon
among the youths Of his training and posi-
ton in the slow-living, hum-drum country
towns of Ohio. The only son of q weakly,
fondling mother and father too earnestly
treading the narrow path of early dill
gences and small savings by which a
man becomes the richest in his village, to
pay any attention to him, Harry grew up
self-indulgent, sclf-sufficient boy
When he signed his name upon the recruit
ing roll-largely impelled thereto by the deli
cately f1attering suggestion that he should
lead off for the youth Of Sardis-he had not
the slightest misgiving that by SO doing he
would subject himself to any of the ills and
discomforts incidental to. carrying out the
enterprise upon which they were embarking.
He, like every one else, had no very clear
idea of what the company would be called
upon to do Or undergo; but no doubt obtruded
itself into his mind that whatever might be
disagreeable in it would fall to some one
else's lot, and he continue to have the same
pleasant exemption that had been his good
fortune SO far through life.
And though the company was Unexpectedly
ordered to the field in the rugged mountains
of western Virginia, instead of to pleasant
quarters about Washington, there was moth
ing to shake this comfortable belief The
slack discipline of the first three months SER
vice, and the confusion of ideas that pre-
vailed in the beginning of the war as to mill
tary duties and responsibilities, enabled him
to spend all the time he chose away from his
company and with congenial spirits about
and to make of the expedition,
so far as he was concerned, a pleasant picnic.
Occasionally little shadows were thrown by
the sight of corpses brought in, with ugly
looking bullet holes in head or breast, but
these were always Of the class he looked down
upon, and he connected their bad luck in
some way with their condition in life Doubt
less some one had to 60 where there was
danger of being shot, as some one had to dig
bitches and help to pry wagons out Of the
mud, but there was something rather pre-
posterous in the thought that anything Of
this kind was incumbent upon him.
The mutterings Of the men against an off,
GER who would not share their hardships and
duties did not reach his ears, nor yet the
gibes of the more earnest Of the officers at the
"young headquarter swells," whose interest
and zeal were nothing to what they would
have taken in fishing excursion.
It came about very naturally and very
soon that this continual avoidance of duty in
directions wheredanger might be encountered
was stigmatized by the harsher name Of
cowardice. Neither did this come to his
and he was consequently ignorant
that be had delivered fatal stab to his repu-